Lately I have been thinking about how important practice is. It seems that every time I am in a conversation or posting in one of the music forums, I say something about the importance of practice. I am currently collaborating on a song with a group of artists who live in various parts of the world. It’s called a super group made up of VIP members of Home Studio Corner.
I am pretty sure this is where my thoughts of practice began, because we are working on a pretty cool little rockabilly groove that uses chords that are not my norm. Getting my part right has really put my nose to the grindstone of practice because:
1. I obligated myself, and these cats are depending on me.
2. when it is finalized, there will be a video on You Tube, and people from around the world will see me, along with all my fellow musicians, doing what we do in our little home studios. Talk about pressure!
That’s good because diamonds are made from extreme pressure.
Anyway, the practice has forced me to get back to some basics of playing guitar as well as the rudiments of finger style technique and patterns, guitar theory, music theory and so much more. I have had to get down to the foundation of my musicianship and re-inspect the structure that I have built over the years. It has made me a better guitarist at a time when I thought that I was as good as I would ever get!
Now, as I was praying this morning for the Lord to counsel my heart by His Word and clear out the garbage that has accumulated in my brain, He pointed me to the Gospels. That’s right, the foundation of my… of our faith. There is much in the faith that we all ought to be practicing. But that is a topic for another time.
I was directed to the book of Luke. I read the preface notes about the author, content, etc. Then, I began at chapter one. Right away verses and lines jumped out at me, and like the guys on the road to Emmaus,(Luke 24: 32) I felt my heart begin to burn within me. The first lines that made me realize The Lord himself was ministering to me were
Luke 1: 3-4
It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus, That thou mightest know the certainty of those things, wherein thou hast been instructed.
Those words ‘That you might know” just happens to be the title and/or concept of a new album I have been planning and praying about, with my grandchildren in mind.
There is nothing in this world quite like knowing that The Savior of all mankind, and The Creator of everything that is, is actually answering your prayer right before your eyes! Not only that, but counseling your heart, and refreshing the soul with the reminding of what it is that we believe, and what is the heritage we have been born to.
We really must get back to the basics. Get back to the foundation of our faith and again put into practice the very principles of faith, honor, and grace. The command of our King, The Lord Jesus Christ was and is “Love one another.”
Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles taught that same thing, from The Book of the Acts to Revelation. I am amazed yet not surprised at how much harmony there is throughout those letters, and it is about loving God, trusting in the faithfulness of Christ Jesus, and because of that, loving one another. The simple solid foundation with the cornerstone is our Savior and King, The Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3: 23-24
“And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.”